KARACHI - Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar said solar-powered lights would be installed at the Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim and the MM Alam Road on experimental basis so that parks and roads of the city could be provided with lights with least possible expenditures.

If this experiment gets succeeded then all parks, playgrounds and roads would be provided with solar-powered lights which would save million of rupees every month.

This he stated while chairing a meeting with a local firm on the solar powered lights. Municipal Commissioner Dr Asghar Abbas, Adviser to mayor Karachi Farhat Khan, Works Committee Chairman Hasan Naqvi, E&M Committee Chairman Khaliduddin, Director General Technical to Mayor Karachi S M Shakaib and other officers also attended this meeting.

The mayor said that the solar-powered lights have been used all over the world quite successfully the Fatima Jinnah Park in Islamabad also has solar lights successfully. “So far no work on this has been done in Karachi therefore local firms are invited to submit their suggestions,” Akhtar added. He said that the electricity tariff is quite higher due to which million of rupees are spent on monthly basis on account of these street lights.

He said that it was essential to light public parks during night hours or citizens would not come here and these become ineffective. He said street crimes also increase due to lack of street lights and citizens have to suffer losses.

The local firm while given its briefing to mayor said that solar powered lights can be easily utilised in the Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim for which 3885 solar panels would be required whereas the 9.3km long MM Alam Road can also be lighted with this facility. The company will bear all the expenditures incurred on the installation and maintenance of solar powered lights.